|
Search this site
powered by FreeFind |
|
|
But I far underestimated him. I now see him once again as a great Cookie. And what great Cookie's performance cannot be scrutinised under the microcosm that is She's Not There? It has everything, from the lonely, poetic lines spoken before the song begins to the helpless verses with their increasing waves of frustration and accusation, to the mini-monologue tucked in the middle and the final angry chorus, and then, of course, that musical representation to rival the greatest of Shakespearean soliloquies, the hallowed guitar solo, running through as many different emotions as the bard could've possibly wanted.
On Saturday night, (12th October 2002 at the Assembly Rooms, Derby) Phil Reed delivered all with flair. One of the main reasons I had rated Phil's solo as below Matt's (apart from the obvious, Matt being my favourite and the original etc etc) was its musical level. Quite simply, Matt's solo was more about making angry noises, where Phil's is more musical and therefore, I thought, less effective.
This opinion was formed based on a bootleg mp3 I had acquired during the summer. A silly thing to use as the basis of any opinion, since the quality was assuredly lacking compared to the live performance, and that was something I hadn't entirely accounted for.
What I had completely overlooked in Phil's solo was that its whole thrust was the subtlety of it. The first few notes: simple, musical, on-key, are so much more when seen coming out of Phil Reed. His stance, the look on his face, the understated flicks of his fingers drive with them a power rarely seen on stage from any one performer. He is telling the audience with every glance, "Look what I can do when they've turned me up this loud. I only have to do this..... and it blasts through your ears." It is clear to anyone watching that he takes great delight in presenting the more impressive parts of the solo, particularly the part where he makes the chairs rumble for a couple of bars. This is a man who has been given the opportunity to play Cookie, and knows exactly what that means.
Well done, Phil. You impressed us all.
Buml0r
The images, text and design of this website are subject to copyright and no part of the site is to be reproduced without the permission of the webmaster